DD has been staying in the city for a few nights due to work commitments and he chose the Sir Stamford Circular Quay as his base. It has been a sentimental visit. We've spent a few lovely nights at the hotel over the years and are feeling a little sad about it closing later this... Continue Reading →

I have become unsentimental about occasions such as Mother's Day as I age. So I wasn't particularly bothered that I didn't spend yesterday with my kids. I drove to Newcastle for prawns and oysters on my parents’ balcony, but the youngest had tickets to a Manly Sea Eagles footy match. So the kids stayed behind... Continue Reading →

I relived my high school days last night, bopping to Nutbush City Limits at TINA - The Tina Turner Musical after scoring a pair of free tickets. I took my sister and we enjoyed a pre-show drink at a secret bar. It’s called Door Knock and you need to be a detective to find it.... Continue Reading →

I had my first-ever dirty martini last night. Actually, it might also have been my first-ever martini, as I've spent most of my life preferring the flavour of spirits to be masked in cocktails rather than highlighted. I was pleasantly surprised by how it tasted. I’m not sure I’d choose it over a Tommy’s Margarita,... Continue Reading →

DD and I went to see comedian Kitty Flanagan perform last night. Her show freaked me out slightly for two reasons. The first reason is that many moons ago there was a disaster with tickets I bought DD to see Kitty for his birthday. I kept all the details of a secret for months, which... Continue Reading →

Nothing and no one prepares you for the mental and physical load that comes with parenthood. You walk into it blindly unaware of how hard it will be to juggle the load with all the other responsibilities that life throws at you. While I didn't warm to the Netflix series Beef, last night I completely... Continue Reading →

I spent yesterday sorting through the last few boxes of jumbled momentoes and bills from my downsize. My ex turned up a few hours into the task and I apologised for the mess strewn across the living room. He was dropped the eldest off after theit visit to the Archibald Prize exhibition. When he left... Continue Reading →

I got a “free” flu vaccination yesterday. I say “free” because I was given a voucher by my workplace, but it actually cost me $17 due to human error. More specifically my error. I was sure I’d booked the appointment for a Terry White chemist a few kilometres east of my apartment. But when I... Continue Reading →

I had a COVID scare yesterday morning and rushed home from the office to do a test. As I dashed out the door I grabbed my packed lunch - spag bol - from the fridge. Well, I thought it was my lunch. When I took it out of my bag to transfer it to the... Continue Reading →

There were more riots in Paris this week over the French government raising the country's official retirement age from 62 to 64. The French have been protesting pension reforms for decades. In 1995, weeks-long mass protests forced the government of the day to abandon plans to reform public sector pensions. In 2010, millions took to... Continue Reading →